


Given Time, We’ll Both be Galaxies

by TheSpaceCoyote



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Eridium Mutated Rhys, M/M, Minor Violence, Monster Rhys, Transformation, Xenophilia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-25
Updated: 2018-03-25
Packaged: 2019-04-07 18:16:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14086752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSpaceCoyote/pseuds/TheSpaceCoyote
Summary: When Jack opened the Vault of the Reformer with Rhys by his side, he expected treasure and knowledge beyond his wildest dreams.But when the Vault strips Rhys' humanity from him, Jack falls back into his old ways, now more willing than ever to lock up his mistakes rather than confront them face-to-face.Rhys, however, might have something to say aboutthat.Written for the Borderlands Reverse Big Bang!





	Given Time, We’ll Both be Galaxies

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Here is my second story for the RVBB, this time done for a lovely picture by [Cinderpath](http://cinderpath.tumblr.com) that I will link to this story as soon as it's posted! 
> 
> In the mean time, enjoy this mixture of angst, slight fluff, and some good old monster fucking!

They were so _close_.

The planet Ovid smelled constantly of moss and rotting fauna, even through the reinforced walls of the transport vehicles. Its near-constant humid rain, catastrophic landslides, and flourishing carnivorous plants made Jack almost miss the relative paradise of Pandora. At least that hell-scape of planet had slight variations in its terrain, but no—everything on Ovid was swallowed in the same thick jungle that grew constantly over any attempts at civilization, and fast enough to create new topographical challenges in a couple of hours.

But no planet, no matter how dangerous, could stand between Jack and Hyperion when the CEO had a Vault in his sights. 

After nearly a year of research and scouting, he’d finally hunted the vault to a remote, vast clearing in the planet’s southeast hemisphere, using all of Hyperion’s wealth and technology to zero in on the precise location. The break in the trees was flanked on onside by a massive stone overhand, as if some giant mouth had taken a ragged bite out of mountain. There, amidst the torrential downpour, Jack finally found the huge arch marking the Vault of the Reformer, the place to plant the key to treasures and technology still beyond the wildest dreams of even he, the man who’d plundered many of its siblings already.

As much as Jack loved being on the front lines of such an important battle, this time he’d listened to Rhys and hung back out of the immediate range the ensuing fight would undoubtedly rage through. The loaders and soldiers served as his eyes and ears as he parked on the periphery in the large battle transport, he and Rhys going through a last debriefing of the plan together before allowing the key to activate.

The fight with the creature would not been easy, not that Jack expected it to be. Even with a couple tangleswith Vault Monsters under his belt, he knew not to underestimate the primordial beasts sent to guard the Eridian race’s most prized secrets.

The entire clearing lit up in bright lines of purple and indigo light the moment the key activated, Jack’s entire vision shaking as it summoned the mountainous Reformer into the battlefield, and though Jack had mentally prepared himself for _months_ he still felt like he might crap himself in fear.

The massive steps of the guardian had sent shockwaves through the ground with every step, it’s tail easily sending a battalion of loaders flying off into the distance. But Jack’s army was functionally endless, flooding the arena with rank after rank of armored soldiers and robots firing endless rounds into the monster’s body.

Even so, the battle was nowhere near straightforward, with the shape of the Reformer changing violently every time Jack’s forces routed it. New limbs and tails burst from its flanks, sending shards of rock and glowing purple energy to the floor like exploding volcanoes. Myriad eyes sprouted from its skull, firing plasma to scorch the ground and armor as its mouth brimmed with fangs and unearthly fire.

But even the unpredictable strength of the Eridian’s prized guardian couldn’t stand up to the sheer numbers of Hyperion—and Jack’s—might. Just when Jack was beginning to wonder if he was fighting a losing battle, a couple of well placed burst missiles blew the creature’s legs out from under it, sending it crashing to the ground where the hide split apart and oozed with floods of glowing blood.

Jack howled himself hoarse, pumping his fists and leaping about like a madman at the guardian’s fall, the encircling mountains nearly splitting with its death. Treasure spilled from the creature’s guts but Jack left it to be spoiled by the remaining men, far more interested in the Vault’s arch now looming huge and unguarded behind the monster’s corpse.

He lead the small battalion of armed cars up to the very front of the arch, ordering them to halt as he and Rhys got out of the car. The air crackled with energy, sending everyone one of Jack’s hair straight on edge, and they hadn’t even yet tried to enter. He heard Rhys’ gulp besides him and squeezed his hand, before turning to shoot him a smile.

“You ready for this?”

A deep breath fluttered through Rhys, before he smiles and squeezes Jack’s hand back.

“Lead the way.”

* * *

The Vault’s inside glowed around them, ethereal and beautiful, its wall solid but steadily shifting in thick, shimmering panels caught in the ethereal beauty between technologic and organic.

Jack took a step. The ground seemed to hum underneath his feet, as if the entire Vault was alive. With each step, a faint pulse of light echoed out from their boots like they’d dropped a rock into water. Jack’s heart was in his throat, caught up in awe and excitement at the unknown power laid out at his very fingertips.

Rhys’ eyes were similarly blown wide with awe, his face pale and mouth hung open. Jack grinned, happiness manic and light as he tugged Rhys gently forward. 

The center of the Vault lifted up like a dais, the very top a platform floating as if suspended by the faint purple energies fluttering about it. The temptation in Jack’s chest was electric, charged from the adrenaline of the fight and the awe of what flows all around him. He gave Rhys’ hand another squeeze.

They had talked about it. _Together_. Jack had practically insisted.

They slowly stepped up the layers of the dais, the stones humming more and more, growing less steady than the ground beneath them as they rose higher and higher up within the thin air of the vault. Jack felt like he was scaling the last couple feet to the top of a mountain, his lungs tight with excitement as they finally pulled themselves up on the floating platform, standing together before the radiant Vault emblem.

_Ready to see all the Reformer had to give them._

They both stood, waiting—but as minutes passed, nothing happened. Jack, creased in his brow, glanced around. He threw out his arms.

“So? What are you waiting for?” He shouted, voice reverberating around the walls before getting swallowed up by the space inside the Vault. He frowned, kicking slightly at the dusty platform beneath his feet.

“Maybe we have to do something to like….activate it?” Rhys whispered, following Jack’s glance. He took a step forward, hand raised to calm the growing tension in Jack’s shoulders, when he suddenly cried out, summoning the CEO’s attention.

Rhys’ arms struck outwards, waving around in circles like he was falling, but to Jack’s surprise Rhys grew taller than him, rising up and up until Jack realized that his feet had just lifted completely off the ground. Rhys wriggled helplessly in the air, eyes wide with worry as he jerked around, trying to find the cause of his sudden levitation.

“Ah, wait, hold on a second, Jack—!“ Rhys tried to kick against the air like he was swimming but he kept rising up despite his movements, as if lifted by an invisible hand.

Fear gripped at Jack’s heart and he quickly leapt into action, scrambling to stand on the tips of his toes as Rhys’ reached out towards him.

“Kiddo! Grab my hand!”

Rhys managed to grab onto Jack just before he floated that last few inches out of reach. Jack grunted, other hand slapping up to seize Rhys’ wrist, clinging on with his entire weight as he tried to rip his boyfriend down and away from the supernatural force pulling him upwards. He struggled, swinging about as he too lifted up off the ground, the tips of his boots barely scraping against the platform.

“Jack! Stop, my arm— _agh_!” Rhys cried out as suddenly something popped, his limb immediately going lifeless in Jack’s grasp. Shocked, Jack let go, falling back hard against the platform. Pain stabbed up from his tailbone, but his own injuries faded away from concern as he watched the dusty, hazy clouds of the vault suddenly whirl up the dais to cluster above him, wrapping in a whirlwind about Rhys’ struggling, suspended body.

“ _Rhys_!” Jack howled as he watched his lover thrown violently about the cocoon of light, his legs and arms snapping about like a doll’s. He could barely make out Rhys’ face amidst the flurry of energy but he could hear, above the rattling howl whipping about the inside of the vault, the _screams_.

“Let him go, assholes! Let him go!” Jack screeched himself hoarse, lifting his pistol and taking aim at the cocoon. The energy started to coil tighter about Rhys’ body, growing denser and faster as it started to block Jack’s visibility. He wet his lips, hands trembling against the grip. He had no idea what else to do, and the intense fear twisting his stomach had him feeling there was no other option.

He yanked the trigger, his pistol exploding in a crack of the shock cell. Jack had only a moment to leap back as his bullet made contact with the now opaque cocoon. He screamed as the vault suddenly filled with bright white light that fizzled and sparkled so intensely Jack felt his skin might crisp up and burn right off his bones. The ground flew away from his feet as his body was tossed back and slammed against the floor. The air evaporated from his lungs and for a moment he thought he might’ve died.

The world came back slowly, in gasps as Jack tried to regain control over his breathing. He coughed roughly, pushing himself up as he tried to understand what had happened.

He can vaguely make out the damaged dais, rocky steps cracked and hewn as if cut with a sword. The cocoon was nowhere to be found, the whirlwind of light that had consumed Rhys fled, apparently shorn apart by Jack’s bullet. The CEO’s heart hammered in his chest as he scrambled to his feet, praying he hadn’t done the same to his captured boyfriend.

He squinted and scanned the Vault, finally able to make out the vague, bottom half of a figure crumpled some distance away, obscured by the settling dust, debris, and dim glow of the Vault. The formerly bright purple and indigo of the cavern had long lost their luster, hampering Jack’s vision as he stumbled forward, trying to get to Rhys’ body.

“Pumpkin…. _Rhysie_! Are you all right?” Jack coughed harder as he stepped over shattered rock and cracked earth, ears straining against the rumbling quiet for a response. He pushed aside hugs chunks of the shattered dais, adrenaline pumping through his muscles as he cleared the rubble away from Rhys’ body, finally tossing enough away to get a proper look, to see if his boyfriend was even still _breathing_.

But what he saw nearly stole the breath from his own lungs.

Jack stood, stock-still, as his brain screamed against his eyes, accusatory, angry that they’d shown him this, this….this _lie_. It couldn’t be.

This couldn’t be happening to him. To _both_ of them.

His pistol hung heavy in his hand and he looked from the body at the floor to the exit behind him, and for a moment he considered the unthinkable **.**

Finally, after a few long, terse moments, Jack slipped his hands underneath Rhys’ body, numb to the warm weight settling against his chest, and carried him out of the Vault.

* * *

Jack’s bed was way too large.

He’d never fully realized it before. Most of his career as CEO had been spent sleeping alone in the very same bed, yet he’d never felt the size as acutely as he did now, lying in the side-facing position that’d become customary when he’d had somebody to look at, back during in those precious moments before his boyfriend woke up.

He remembered Rhys’ two modes of sleeping. Sometimes he’d lay flat on his back like a frikkin’ sarcophagus, not moving from the moment he laid his head down on the pillow to when he rose in the morning. The second, and by far Jack’s favorite, was the way he slept all curled up, almost like a child, with both hands resting near his parted lips. He might move a lot more that way, occasionally grumbling and kicking out involuntarily at Jack, but any nighttime commotion was quickly forgiven as soon as Jack laid eyes on his boyfriend’s peacefully snoozing face.

God. He _missed_ it.

Jack skipped breakfast, his stomach filling only with the coal black coffee he drank in hope the caffeine boost might make the weight of the coming day easier to bear.

It was harder, lately, to face each new morning with his old fiery optimism, his unstoppable ambition. He didn’t understand—he’d been alone before, waking up to an empty penthouse and going to sleep with the same large bed, but now it stung all the more.

Jack finished off the coffee cup so fast it made his cheeks burn, before dumping the last of the dregs into the sink. He fixed his hair in the fuzzy reflection of the refrigerator, one last ditch effort to pull himself together, before he strode out the door, already sick of the quiet emptiness of his home.

* * *

The first thing Jack said when he entered into the closed off wing of R&D was the first thing he’d said every day for the past month:

“How is he?”

And every day he hoped for a different response, for a positive change. For someone to smack him in the head so he could wake up and see it’d all been a dream.

But the response he got today, the response he’d gotten every day since he’d first carried Rhys in here, was still:

“He’s stable. Same as yesterday, sir.”

Which never did much to improve Jack’s mood, since it meant he’d either have to listen to scientists rattle off pointless numbers for the rest of the day, or confront what was inside of the enclosure this whole wing had been retrofitted around.

He picked at the limp breakfast offerings laid out on the rickety table, considering another cup of coffee to steady his nerves as he munched on a stale croissant. _Ugh_. When was the last time he’d given these guys new food? He’d have to if he wanted to have something decently fresh enough to snack on. And he guessed they deserved sustenance too, even if they weren’t doing their frikkin’ job and giving him the results he needed.

“Do you wish to speak with him, sir?” The head researcher meekly approached him, half hiding herself behind her tablet. Jack grunted in response, rocking on his heels as he swallowed down the last of the rocky pastry.

“…Yeah, all right. Might as well.”

He let her lead him down the main hallway towards the enclosure, respectfully slowing her steps as Jack grew more hesitant. He pushed through the urge to bolt, walking through the final steel door and out into the observation bay surrounding the enclosure.

It looked unlike the rest of the environments in the R&D department, with less effort needed to accurately replicate some foreign ecology for the sake of their inhabitants. In fact, it was fairly bare, steel-white with little thought put into altering it too drastically from the deck on the other side of the waist-high windows.

Jack sighed, dragging his hand down his face as he drew closer, forcing himself to take a look inside of the pen. At first he saw nothing, until a pair of eyes—their sclera dark, pupils glowing bright purple and blue—peeked up from the bottom of the window, followed by a smile full of sharpened teeth.

Rhys’ mouth moved, though Jack heard nothing but a faint murmur through the thick glass of the windows. The CEO waved vaguely, looking at the kid only through the periphery as he pointed down the encircling hallway, mouthing back a command Rhys easily read.

The enclosure had evolved slightly over the past couple of months, gradually introducing elements Rhys might be more familiar with in an effort to trace changes in his behavior and how he interacted with the world around him. Just yesterday the researchers had finally added a table, chair, and a suspended, oval-shaped bed to the room, giving the whole thing a lot more of a homey vibe.

Rhys ignored all of it, however, following along the window as Jack walked towards a small observation alcove consisting of a high-backed yellow chair and a two-way screen. Rhys quickly scampered over to the screen on his side, sitting cross-legged down in front of it. Jack’s eyes narrowed at the now unfortunately familiar sight of the man’s arm—no longer that warm chrome yellow that Jack had grown used to. The boxy plates of Rhys’ older cybernetic were gone, replaced by a smooth purple limb that swirled faintly with minuscule galaxies of energy beneath nigh-transparent skin.

It reminded Jack of the inside of the Vaults. It made him shiver.

Rhys lifted the arm and quickly tapped through the screen’s controls, dexterity from years of hacking not lost despite the changes to his body. Jack’s screen quickly lit up with the image of Rhys, giving him a better view inside of the enclosure from the comfort of the chair. Rhys was wearing the pair of boxers they’d given him after he’d complained about the chill and constant nakedness, though they’d had to cut a hole in the back for the…the _tail_.

Jack lifted his eyes from the little appendage wiggling around on the floor to watch as Rhys slicked his hair back— mindful of the horns now sprouting from his skull—before waving at him with his pulsing hand.

“Hi Jack.”

The CEO stroked his lips for a thoughtful moment, before responding.

“Hey.”

Rhys’ ear twitched as he rubbed at it with his claw, frowning. Fangs poke out slightly from under his upper lip.

“They were late with my breakfast _again_. This morning. Can you believe it? What kind of people do you have working around here?” Rhys tried to joke, though Jack just grunted in response.

“Sorry. I’ll have them get on it.”

“You should tell them to put more meat in it too. I’m super sick of oatmeal. _Bleh_.” Rhys stuck out his tongue, the tip slightly forked.

“You don’t say.” Jack eyed the empty bowls placed atop the table inside the enclosure. “Looks like you ate all of it, though.”

“Well _duh_ , I was starving. I miss eating _real_ food, not this bland crap.”

The research team had told Jack that observing Rhys’ diet was a key component of figuring out exactly what had changed in the wake of the Vault. Honestly, Jack let them do their own thing most of the time, unconcerned with any of the numbers and observations not linked to a solution to get Rhys back to normal. A part of him still disliked the way they treated Rhys like a lab animal, but until he became human again, well.

He might as well be.

“I miss your steaks. Remember the dinner you cooked a few months back? You made that really awesome red wine sauce, and sautéed vegetables with garlic butter, and the potatoes? You should tell them to bring me some of _that_ instead of what they’ve been giving me.”

“Maybe,” Jack replied dutifully. Rhys pulled a face at him.

“What?”

“Is something bugging you?”

“No. I just wanted to check in and see how you’re feeling.”

“You ask me that every time you come in, you know. If anything was super wrong I’m sure the researchers would have already told you.”

“Guess I just wanna hear it right from the horse’s mouth.”

“Okay Jack. Anyways, I feel fine. I mean. As fine as I can be like this. As fine as I’ve been for the past few months, all this,” Rhys gestured to the enclosure around him. “Notwithstanding.”

He kneaded his hands against the floor, tilting his head to the side. “Speaking of, I’ve been here a _really_ long time. I was wondering if maybe. You know. I could go home now.” He clasped his clawed hands together. “Please?”

Rhys’ smile was sad, sincere. It plucked at Jack’s heart, but he knew better. He tried to muster a smile back, placing his hand against the screen. It was the only kind of contact allowed in this state.

“Sorry, pumpkin. Just a little bit more, I promise. Then I’ll take you home.”

Rhys sighed, though he put his clawed hand on his own screen to match Jack’s.

“Okay.”

* * *

Jack didn’t want to be angry with Rhys.

After all, it wasn’t his fault that he was in this mess. Vaults were wildcards. Jack should have known that by now, but he’d never expected Rhys to be taken as a victim. As a _price_. And they hadn’t even gotten anything in return aside from the loot pillaged from the monster which, while cool enough, didn’t seem an adequate exchange for the horrible changes wrought onto Rhys’ body. Jack would give it all up, hell, he would see it melted down and used to furnish bandit camps if it meant changing Rhys back to normal.

But Rhys didn’t seem to fully comprehend the enormity of the situation, which Jack found strange, considering Rhys was the one who had been so horribly changed. And yet he acted incredibly blasé about it, only wanting to go home with Jack and do—what? Pretend everything was normal?

Jack wasn’t sure he could do that. And until Rhys got that, he had to be kept away. Until they knew _for sure_ that nothing was wrong with him. Until they’d completely exhausted _all_ options to try and get him back to normal.

But even his rationalization didn’t stop Jack from feeling miserable. He’d withdrawn almost completely from others since returning from the Vault, his usually boisterous personality dampened with stewing anger and frustration. He’d even resorted to letting some of his body doubles front for him lately, their lust for overtime payment surpassing Jack’s interest in posturing for the crowds.

In fact, whenever he didn’t absolutely need to go down to the office, he spent the majority of his time holed up in his penthouse. Before, he might get food down at the hub, or visit Manufacturing to test out some of the latest lines of weaponry and dispense sagely advice on fire rate or mag size, but now whenever he finished his work for the day he wanted little more than to go straight home and wrap himself up in the trappings of his and Rhys’ former life in a desperate attempt to forget the fact that he was gone, changed, locked up on Jack’s orders.

The results were mixed.

Jack couldn’t stave off the feeling of loneliness that permeated every inch of the penthouse, no matter how much of it was painted with fond memories.

As such, he’d fallen back into old habits. Alcohol had always been a trusted friend, as well as trashy programs on the ECHOnet, but more than that, he’d come to need something _tactile_ , something that filled all the senses.

Thankfully, cooking and baking served to satisfy that urge.

It called to Jack as he entered the penthouse, and he made a quick bee-line for the kitchen, debating what he could cook. He wanted something simple. Something brainless he could work on that didn’t require any complex ingredients or more than two bowls.

Muffins were simple enough. He had frozen blackberries in the fridge and a bake-shop’s-worth of dry ingredients in the pantry so he quickly set about, ready to bury himself in a nice, effortless task.

The crack of the eggs against the steel bowl felt satisfying, and though the recipe didn’t ask for whisking, he did it anyway, watching the separate yolks blur together in a flash of springy steel. Even the raw dough smelled great when he started to combine everything together, satisfying him even before he’d popped them into the oven.

As they baked, Jack walked through his house, slowly, eyes lingering over the picture’s he’d left up on the walls and the scars of tape left by the ones he didn’t. He forgets the logic he had when he’d first swept through the house, taking things down and hiding them so he wouldn’t accidentally stumble upon any bad feelings.

One picture in particular, near the end of the hall just before his office, catches his eye. He trailshis fingers along the smooth black frame, eyes skimming lovingly over the little Jack and Rhys sitting happily together. Jack didn’t remember the exact date when it was taken, but Rhys had his old arm on—the boxy,inelegant first model he’d had back when he and Jack had first met and gotten together, as opposed to the new, state-of-the-art one he’d had made specifically for Rhys not long before the Vault.

The Rhys in the photo flashed his fingers in a peace sign, smile so wide and bright that his eyes crinkled at the edges. Jack’s smile was more subdued but no less affectionate, his glance slightly tipped off to the side, looking at Rhys more than the camera.

The kid used to have a penchant for photographs, eager to document each moment of their shared life. Jack had even caught Rhys taking picture with his ECHOeye of the meals Jack had made for him.

He lifted his finger to touch the smooth glass covering the picture, tracing the soft shapes of Rhys’ face and smile. He remembered how he used to stroke that same face, kiss those perfect lips. His heart pulled downwards as he leaned forward, pressing his forehead against the cool glass of photograph and started to close his eyes.

Suddenly, the smell of burning snapped him out of his reverie. He swore, the frame dropping from his hands as he tore offdown the hallway, skidding into the kitchen. Smoke seeped in little tendrils from the oven, billowing out as Jack slammed open the door.

He coughed, waving the smoke away from his face as he grabbed a thick towel, yanking the pan out of the oven and clanging it atop the counter. He squinted, heart falling into his stomach as a dozen sad, blackened little pucks looked up at him.

They probably could have been salvaged, with only their tops burnt, but that didn’t stop Jack from flying into a rage, tossing the pan onto the floor where the muffins popped out of their tins and scattered, rolling in all directions. Jack didn’t stop there, grabbing the fancy appliances off of the counter and throwing them onto the floor, his heart beating harshly against his ribcage as he snarled, hands digging into his hair.

Maybe he’d lost track of too much time, maybe he’d simply set the oven too high on accident—regardless, it hardly mattered now, as Jack sunk to the floor and snarled senselessly against his knees as the smell of smoke settled in all around him.

* * *

 

 

“You know,” Rhys started, the moment Jack settled into the observing chair, “if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were trying to recreate our penthouse in this place.”

“What makes you think that, kiddo?” Jack’s voice sounded flat in his his ears.

“They put Hyperion propaganda in here. See?” Rhys jabbed a finger behind him to a couple of large posters of Jack and Helios hanging up on the wall that the CEO hadn’t noticed up until Rhys pointed them out.

“Oh. Huh. Well you know how it is. Every inch of Helios has gotta be covered in pictures of me. I’m sure I probably made a decree or something like that along the line,” Jack tried to dismiss, but Rhys raised a skeptical eyebrow.

“ _Riiiight_. But it seems kind of pointless, don’t you think? Why would I need to have propaganda posters in here? It’s not like I’m in danger of changing my mind or defecting or anything. Like, even if I _could_.”

Jack could hear the tension in Rhys’ voice. The kid had really been battling him more lately, in that bratty way he used to back before the thing with the Vault. Like when Jack forgot to ball his socks together by collar and pattern after he elected to do their laundry, or if he ate the last of the Truxican takeout that Rhys had been eyeing. Usually, Jack found Rhys’ whiny insistence to be cute, but right now, with the plate glass wall between them, he wanted little more than to walk away and stop listening to it.

“But it doesn’t hurt, does it? Makes things seem a little more normal.”

“Jack. I don’t _want_ this place to become normal for me. Do you get that?”

“Sure I _get it_ , pumpkin, but I’m just saying. You might need to get used to it for a bit longer rather than complaining every time they try to add something new to make it feel a little more like home.”

Rhys frowned.

“So you _are_ trying to make it like the penthouse.”

“Only to keep you from pacing claw-deep trenches into the floor.”

“Well, I wouldn’t _be_ pacing around so much if I wasn’t cooped up in here for no reason.” Rhys hissed, tail angrily swiping against the floor.

“There isn’t ‘no reason.’ Kiddo, I don’t think you understand, you were frikkin’ _mutated_ by some creepy Vault energy, and you _need_ to stay here until it’s safe.”

“But I don’t _like_ being here, you don’t visit nearly enough and I feel like I’m going _crazy_ in here!”

“What do you want, pumpkin? Video games? I can drag your friend in here if you want, he can live with you and be fed by scientists too, it’ll be nice and fun.”

“I _want_ to be out of here.” Rhys’ rises on all fours, pushing his face even closer to the screen. “You’re not listening to me when I tell you what _I_ want to do.”

“It’s not about what you _want_ , it’s about what the tests say—“

“All the _tests_ say I’m safe.” Rhys’ left eyes glows neon-bright, fluttering with preternatural energy. “You think I don’t know what they’re saying, what the results are? I’m not some dumb animal.”

Jack blood ran cold as the former ECHOeye lit up, flaming in Rhys’ anger. Initial examination of the kid’s mutated body when he’d first been brought here had revealed that some of his organic and cybernetic parts had fused together, but they’d never known that the damn things still _worked_.

But Rhys knew. He’d been _spying._ Deliberately disobeying the unsaid orders Jack had laid down, transgressing the boundaries Jack had set because he knew they had to be, _he_ was the only one who truly got the unpredictable effects of the Vaults.

Jack’s hackles raised, anger welling up in his chest as he glared through the screen at Rhys.

“You….how did you…” He spluttered, suddenly feeling exposed, the safety established by the enclosure weakened as Rhys’ eye glowed bright, right into his heart. He growled as Rhys opened his mouth, rising and kicking at the chair as he stalked off, not wanting to hear any more of what he had to say.

The scientists in the observation bay flinched as Jack screeched for them, hands angrily planted on his hips. They approached slowly, as if Jack was a frenzied animal, their tablets held out in front of their chests like shields. Jack picked one at random and marched right up to him, hand clamping firmly on the poor man’s shoulder.

“I want that touchpad out of his room,” Jack snarled, thumb pressing viciously against the man’s collarbone. “Or at the very frikkin’ _least_ can you people figure out how to stop him from getting access to your research that’s supposed to be god-damn confidential?”

“W-We can certainly try, sir, but without knowing how he’s getting into the systems, it might be—“

“I don’t care if it’s _hard_ , I don’t care if you have to take apart this entire enclosure to do it, just _do it_ , okay?” Jack snapped, jabbing a finger into the scientists’s chest before he stalked back off down the halls, angry footsteps the last echo of his presence.

* * *

Even the quiet of his penthouse fought against Jack, now. He’d tried slipping on his glasses and his comfortable clothes to get some work done, but the silence that permeated the house did little to help his focus and keep him from thinking about Rhys.

To distract himself he broke into his liquor cabinet for the partially empty bottle of Maenad whiskey he’d already almost drained in the month since the Vault, and ambled back into the kitchen, pouring a room-temperature glass and slurping it down without care for the burn.

The whiskey, thankfully, did its job, and fast. Soon enough, Jack stumbled from the kitchen and out into the living room, able to find the couch before his legs jellied and fell out from beneath him. He flopped onto the cushions, grabbing one and hugging it to his face, pleased to find it soft and velvety as he rubbed his cheek up against the fabric. After a moment of groaning he lifted his head, only to look back into his own face.

Jack had laughed when Rhys had first transferred some of his most prized Handsome Jack-themed memorabilia into the penthouse, wondering why Rhys needed them when he had the genuine article living and breathing right in front of him. He remembered Rhys rolling his eyes, sticking out his tongue in that petulant, teasing fashion. He’d said something about having company when Jack was gone or something else to kiss when he was pissing him off. Jack had relented and allowed Rhys to add to the already abundant pictures and merchandise of himself in the penthouse. 

It’s stupid but, even with his drunken brain, Jack wished he’d had the foresight to make a Rhys-printed pillow of his own. Still, he hugged the one he had and reburied his face into it, cuddling and nuzzling absently until the alcohol managed to drag him to sleep.

* * *

A muffled _thump_ was what finally woke Jack up from his drunken nap.

At first, he dismissed it, thinking he might’ve accidentally knocked something off the coffee table in his fitful sleep. He groaned, rolling from his stomach and onto his back, eyebrows twitching together as he tried to go back to sleep.

Only for the unmistakeable sound of _footsteps_ to completely snap him awake.

He shot up quickly, blinking the fuzziness of sleep from his eyes until he realized his glasses had slipped off of his face. He groped around for them hoarsely, finally managing to find them and slip them over his nose.

Rhys stood, frozen in mid-step, right in front of the digital fireplace. His eyes were wide, pupils directly fixed on Jack, even his tail stiffened out behind him like an icicle. Jack gawked, mind grasping at reality, trying to figure out if it was just playing tricks on him.

“Um.” Rhys swallowed, waving his claws. “Hi?”

Jack’s feet hit the floor with a harsh _thump_ , ignoring his sluggish muscles as he lurched around the coffee table and practically _lunged_ at Rhys. Unfortunately, one half-asleep human was no match for a wide awake whatever-Rhys-was, and he quickly dodged out of Jack’s grasp, skirting to the other side of the living room with lightning agility.

“H-Hey! Hold on a second!” Rhys cried even as Jack stumbled after him, slowly waking up as he chased him through the apartment, rounding several times around the living room before Rhys tried to cut through the kitchen, tail accidentally knocking pots and pans from the floor cabinets as he raced past. Jack nearly grabbed the tip of said tail as Rhys negotiated a corner, but it whipped angrily against his hand as Rhys fled the main part of the penthouse, darting through the dark hallways and slipping into Jack’s bedroom, CEO hot on his sharp heels.

Jack flipped on the light-switch just in time to see Rhys flop down on all fours, scurrying along the dark carpet in the direction of the bed. Jack lunged forward, nearly losing his footing as he groped for his fleeing prey. He managed to seize the last length of Rhys’ tail, pulling it taunt and tight just as the kid leapt up onto the bed.

The young man screeched in pain, claws digging into the bedspread as Jack yanked the tail towards him, trying to drag Rhys off of the bed. His other hand clamped further up Rhys’ tail, pulling like a length of rope as he stomped closer.

“You….frikkin’ _dumbass_ …” Jack grunted as Rhys slashed holes in his bed, the end of his tail thrashing and wiggling in Jack’s grasp. “You’re going _right_ back where you belong…”

However, just as Jack got close enough Rhys hissed, baring his teeth as he rolled onto his back. Jack jerked back just a whisper too late, as Rhys’ razor sharp foot-claws lashed out at his face. The longest two nails slashed into Jack’s cheek, cutting right through the mask and into the skin below.

Shocked, Jack loosened his grip just enough that Rhys’ tail slipped out of his hands, allowing the young man to quickly right himself and scramble away as Jack collapsed back on his ass. He hit the floor _hard_ , the impact rattling through his bones as his cheek burned with pain. His hand shook as he touched his face, feeling the scraps of the torn mask around hot, bubbling blood. He held his red fingers up to his eyes and his heart pounded, anger and terror lancing through his chest.

He slapped a bright red handprint on the nightstand as he wrenched open the drawer, hand fumbling for the grip of his emergency pistol. He yanked it out and pulled himself up to his feet, eyes furious and face bleeding as he swung the gun around to take aim.

Rhys crouched near the edge of the bed, clawed hands gripping tightly into the sheets. He panted rapidly, chest rising and falling, though even his breaths stilled as Jack suddenly aimed the gun at his head. His muscles froze, tensing like a corner animal as the CEO’s finger moved towards the trigger. Anxious lightning crackled through the flesh in Rhys’ arm, his tail twitching slightly like a predator’s. The red light of the sight on Jack’s gun glinted off the cruel curve of Rhys’ horns, the fangs leering out from under his lips.

 _Do it_. A vicious little voice inside his head whispered. Jack gritted his teeth together. His hand itched to move.

But Rhys’ dark eyes were softer than Jack remembered from the month they’d looked at each other from beyond enclosure walls. The colors of his irises glowed brighter than before, but something swam in their depths, something that was as clear now as it had been back when they’d first met, back when Rhys had first kissed him, first touched him, first told him how he felt.

“Jack…” Rhys whispered, voice slightly strained, and if Jack were to close his eyes it might sound exactly like Rhys had long ago, back in the quiet of their bedrooms, when he thought Jack was still asleep.

His straining heart was too loud to ignore.

“…Damn it.” Jack huffed and clicks the gun’s safety back on, before tossing it onto the nightstand. Rhys flinched, glancing from the clattering weapon and back to Jack.

“You—“

“Shut up.” The CEO snarled. “Just…just tell me what the hell you’re doing here.”

“Jack.” Despite the narrowly averted standoff, Rhys’ voice was clear. “I just want to talk, okay? I just want to talk.”and even though his spine arches up like a cat’s, tail waving threateningly behind him.

“We could _talk_ in your enclosure, you know.”

“You and me _both_ know that’s barely real talking. I can’t have an actual conversation with you when an entire team of researchers is listening in and recording my every word.”

Jack tensed, hands twitching in uncertain movements as he tried to plan his next move, now that violent force was uncharacteristically out of the picture. Rhys had enough speed and agility to easily move or outrun Jack even if he lunged as fast as he could. There was little he could do to catch Rhys when the young man, with his mutations, was tensed and ready like this.

Jack sighed, finally dropping his hands to his sides. He really hated showing an quarter to Rhys in this state, especially when he’d disobeyed Jack and _somehow_ escaped his enclosure _and_ broken into his penthouse. But if he couldn’t catch, and couldn’t bring himself to kill, there wasn’t much he could do other than….

 _Talk_.

Damn it. He was going to have to airlock a couple of the research team, wasn’t he? Rhys was _out_ of his enclosure and no one had bothered to even notify him. He had broken into Jack’s home and _injured_ him. They were watching Rhys constantly. How had they not noticed that he had escaped? Heads were gonna roll for putting Jack in this kind of crappy situation.

Jack crossed his arms and tried to arch his eyebrows, though they pulled at his stinging cheek and made him wince. 

“F-fine. You wanna talk face to face. Then _talk_. You can start by telling me how the hell you got out of here and _why_.”

Rhys remained tense at the edge of the bed, though he **f** ell from his arched stance to a crouch, tail curling about his body.

“Well, I…you know, I really think you’ll think the ‘how’ is…well, it’s just kind of funny how easy it was. For all their advanced degrees and collective IQ points, they have no clue I’m missing.”

“Yeah, cause they’re a bunch of frikkin’ _morons_.”

“True, but that’s not the only reason.” Rhys puffed out his chest, smile slightly proud. “I’ve been….keeping some of my abilities hidden from them. I wanted to show you first but you never wanted to see so I just…kept them to myself. Practicing them underneath the covers of the beds and other things I’ve been given. Doing things bit by bit in those brief moment when I’m not being _watched_ like I’m an animal.”

He held up a claw.

“You know all about the rapid regeneration. Can’t really keep that hidden. But it’s more than just that. I can like….temporarily duplicate my cells.” Jack raised his eyebrow incredulously, but Rhys nodded in confirmation.

“It’s….well, it’s not exactly a fun process but it’s been getting easier. I practiced by just doing it with my claws or tail but eventually I got to the point where I could copy my whole body. So your scientists are just going to see an empty Rhys clone that they think is sleeping. And with my speed, it was pretty easy to slink out while they gave ‘me’ my dinner.” Rhys grinned. “Pretty slick, huh?”

Actually, it sounded pretty impressive. Jack had to admit that. None of his research team had ever reported that Rhys had abilities beyond the simple cellular regeneration of his own injuries. And just when they thought they’d figured out almost everything Rhys could do.

“All right, so you figured out a cool party trick,” Jack dismissed with a wave of the hand, “what’s your point? We’re just gonna have to build something tougher that you won’t break out of.”

Rhys narrowed his eyes with a frustrated sigh.

“The _point_ , Jack, is that I’m discovering new things about myself _all the time_ , and maybe if you let me actually _use_ them instead of keeping me locked up like some kind of science project, we’d both feel a hell of a lot better.”

“What makes you think I don’t feel good about this?” Jack gestured vaguely about. “I’m happy. Super happy.”

“Yeah, and I’m the emperor of all six Edens.” Rhys snorted. “Even just talking to you through a screen I’ve been able to tell things haven’t exactly been peachy for you since the Vault.”

Jack leapt, trying to clear the bed but landing against the mattress with a heavy grunt. Rhys hopped away, even as Jack’s hands fell short of his body, scurrying up the bulk of pillows to perch atop the fancy carved headboard. Jack pushed himself up on all fours, blowing messy hair out of his eyes as he glared up at Rhys, past the wooden paneling depicting his own exploits.

“Damn it.” He shook his head. “Thought I might be able to grab you.”

“Don’t make me hurt you again, Jack,” Rhys growled, his eyes flashing from above like some gargoyle, pitiably looking down at the CEO. Jack grimaced, the cut on his cheek stinging.

“Look. You _know_ there’s nothing really dangerous about me. I’m not irradiated. I’m not unstable. I read the tests, remember?” Rhys tapped his temple, where the scar of his old port remained. “I know there’s nothing really wrong with me other than the new abilities. So the only reason I can think of that you’re keeping me in that place is that….”

Rhys shrugged.

“I don’t know. Why don’t you tell me?”

“Cause there’s nothing _to_ tell.” Jack shot back.

“Were you afraid I was going to go AWOL or something? Look, I know the Vaults can do some weird, creepy stuff, really mess people up, but I expect you to _trust_ me when I say all I want is to not be stuck in some lab getting poked and prodded for no reason.”

Jack stared down at the specks of blood on the bedspread, saying nothing. 

“I can be a lot more useful to you _not_ cramped up like that, you know?” Rhys continued. “We’ve already found one Vault together and well…now that I’m like _this_ , imagine how many more we could find. I’ll keep exploring my abilities, figuring new things out, and we can…”

Rhys faltered at Jack’s sustained silence. He waited momentarily for a response, before sighing, shoulders sagging. 

He traced his claws against the headboard, scratching into the lacquer.

“I don’t know why you won’t let me help yo—.”

“—Because it’s my _fault_ , okay?” Jack suddenly hissed, making Rhys jump. The CEO raised his head, hating the heavy hoarseness of his voice.

“You wouldn’t have gotten _mutated_ like this if I hadn’t brought you along to that _Vault_.”

Jack cupped his face in his hands, hunching over himself as all the feelings he’d kept bottled up inside over the past month, the ones that threatened to punch out of his chest every time he saw Rhys in that enclosure, came spilling out.

“Don’t you get it, kiddo? I should be the one with claws and a tail and horns growing out of my head. I should have been the one turned into a _monster_.”

He could no longer cry, ducts in his face long burned by the scar beneath his mask, but his body doesn’t know that. It shivers in pain and anguish, his chest hitching with hoarse sobs as he digs his hands into his face. He grabs the clamps to his torn mask and rips it away, tossing it aside where it skitters off the bed and falls to the floor. He feels his scar throb beneath the layers of dead skin, its heat haunting.

“Vaults make men into monsters. I knew that. I knew that and still…I didn’t want _this_ to happen to you! It was already…it was _already_ me..why….why did it have to be _you too_!” Jack cries out in terse anger, head hanging forward as his hands reach up to fist into his hair, a futile attempt to ground himself even as he spins into misery and pain.

Heavy breathing hissed past his clenched teeth, his eyes shut tight against the world as he curled in on himself. He could feel the rough edges of the mask beneath his palms, biosynthetic material peeled away by Rhys’ claws, face deservedly cut down to the blood by the very man he’d ruined.

 _Everything was ruined_.

Jack flinched as a gentle, purple hand suddenly rests on his knee. Jack didn’t bother to look up as Rhys slithered down from the headboard, cautiously rubbing up and down Jack’s thigh as he crouched besides the wounded CEO.

“Jack, I…if it makes you feel better. _I_ don’t think I’m a monster.”

Jack snorted humorlessly. Rhys lightly slapped his thigh.

“I know you don’t believe me, but I mean. It’s true.”

Out of the corner of his eye Jack saw Rhys adjust into a more comfortable position, his legs sliding out sideways to sit on his hip.

“Listen. As smart as I was before, as hard as I worked up through Hyperion, I always felt there was always something missing. Like I was always one step behind someone smarter and more hard-working than me no matter how hard I tried. If I hit my metaphorical ceiling then well, I needed to push past the limits of myself as Rhys the human. I mean, that was kind of why I started getting the cybernetics in the first place.”

Jack had never broached the topic of Rhys’ robotic enhancements, nor the undoubtedly painful process he’d undertaken to get them. Like his scar, it’d been mostly an unspoken topic. He didn’t need to know the why of Rhys’ decision-making. They were cool and useful. Jack had left it at that.

“I’ve had a month to think about this and sure, maybe you never get totally used to having claws and a tail and the feeling of doubling your cells and splitting off from yourself. But maybe you never fully get used to having a cybernetic limb or an eye that can instantly summon an entire database-worth of information. This is just the next phase for me. The next step forward. And I mean…you know, I don’t want to give up and stop now.”

Rhys sat up on slightly his knees, straightening his spine as he showed off his body properly to Jack’s eyes. It was the first time he’d seen Rhys’ form this closely since he’d carried him out of that Vault. After all, most of their interactions lately had come with a plate of glass between them. 

Rhys patted down his body, drawing Jack’s eyes to the curves of new muscles in his chest and shoulders and stomach.

“I’m stronger like this. I mean, remember? You had me take a hundred of those tests. You even made me bite through a bar of steel.”

“I did.”

“Yeah. And it was _easy_.” Rhys snapped his jaws in emphasis, grinning around the mouthful of fangs. “Just like eating one of your steaks.”

He raised his claws, counting each ability off.

“Lets see…I can lift four times as much weight as I could when I was all human. I can regenerate tissue with an 80% destruction rate. I can make copies of myself and I’m theorizing I might be able to use it to even copy other people someday. I mean, maybe I dunno if I could ever fool someone’s mother, but still. And on top of all that I’ve got claws and teeth and I can run as fast as anybody on this station. Probably faster than any of the company cars, I bet.”

“Is that so?”

“You have the tests to prove it.”

Jack simpered. It was true, though. Rhys was right. They’d been testing him for a month now, and all the traits he’d exhibited had been arguably positive. Increased strength, agility, intelligence. Not to mention the abilities he’d just learned about that Rhys had kept hidden, none of which seemed particularly damaging or dangerous. Well, at least not to Jack or Hyperion.

Rhys’ claws skirted along the material of his jeans, audibly scratching.

“I want things to be as normal as they can be, Jack. But you can’t keep me in a cage for the rest of my life just because you’re scared, or whatever. I won’t let you do it.” Rhys tail swished against the bed. “If you’re going to try then…I’ll run so far away that you won’t ever be able to find me.”

Rhys tilted his head down, trying to catch Jack’s eyes.

“Do you want that?”

Maybe. Maybe Jack wanted the evidence of his mistakes scattered to the furthest corners of the galaxy. Maybe he wanted Rhys to leave, so guilt wouldn’t drive him again and again to Rhys’ side in an attempt to fix him. To return to how things had been beforehand.

But what he wants was still, after all these years, _so_ different than what he actually _needed._

“No…”

He struggled to be mindful of Rhys’ skittish demeanor as he leans in closer. Rhys twitched slightly at the new proximity but stayed mostly still, watching Jack with a blend of softness and suspicion. He stiffened when Jack’s hand lifted, fingers trembling, but they fell to rest softly against the young man’s soft cheekbones.

“Please,” Jack croaked, stroking the sides of Rhys’ face, “please don’t go.”

The remaining tension leaked out of his body as he fell forward against Rhys’ weight, bringing their bodies closer together, their chests rubbing against one another. Jack whimpered breathlessly, touching their foreheads together as his back shook with more sobs, his hands cupping Rhys’ fine jawline.

“I won’t,” Rhys whispered, finally, his hands coming to rest on Jack’s waist. “I won’t, if you won’t push me away.”

Jack’s hands fell away from Rhys’ cheek, arms wrapping around the young man’s neck as Rhys pulled him into a tighter hug, rubbing up and down his lower back as Jack snuffled and shook, burying his nose against the side of Rhys’ neck. They stayed there like this for a few minutes until Jack regained control over his emotions, breathing steadily as he relished the warmth emanating from Rhys’ body.

Jack slowly lifted his head up from Rhys’ shoulder, smiling softly as he looked into those strange eyes—strange, but holding deep affection that Jack hadn’t seen through the screens of the enclosure. He breathed in deep, filling his lungs with the scent of his lover. Rhys still smelled like himself, that faint aroma of musk and vanilla characteristic of the cologne he’d always dabbed onto his neck. He could pick up on it still, even with the smell of blood smeared over his cheek.

“I missed this.” Jack ran his fingers up the back of Rhys’ skull, flirting with the curls of burgundy hair. Rhys walked forward on his knees, carefully straddling Jack’s lap as his arms lift to rest about Jack’s shoulders.

“I missed this too.” Rhys trailed little patterns with his claws in Jack’s sweater, the tips catching slightly against the fabric. “This is what I’ve been wanting all this time, you idiot…”

“Shut up…” Jack grumbled, pressing his lips against the side of Rhys’ face. He inhaled deeply, closing his eyes. He heard Rhys chuckle, skin moving out from underneath Jack’s mouth only to be replaced by the warm plush of his lips.

Kissing. God. _Kissing Rhys_. It ignited something that’d been sleeping dormant inside of Jack for the past month, and just as Rhys’ lips start to move Jack’s fingers dig into the locks of his hair and pulls their mouths closer together.

Rhys’ moans sound tinnier than they had before, but his lips were just as delicious, just as soft as they’d always been. Jack probes his tongue between his lover’s lips, though the prickle of the sharp and forked tip of Rhys’ gives him pause. He pulls back with a nervous chuckle, watching as Rhys’ thin, slightly iridescent tongue flutters between his lips.

“It’s…it’s gonna take a bit of getting used to.” Rhys sucks his tongue back into his mouth, grinning sheepishly.

“Sorry…first time kind of…using them all like this…”

“It’s all right…I mean…you already cut open my face…” Jack chuckled dryly. “That thing was _expensive_.”

“I mean…you were _chasing_ me…” Rhys defended even as Jack leaned in to steal another kiss.

“Kind of like it when you have a little edge. Suppose you could say I’m curious. Slightly scared. But curious.”

Rhys leaned forward, nudging their noses together.

“So does that mean you…do you want to go further? Or should we just stop here?”

Jack answered by grabbing Rhys’ shoulders and shoving him back against the bed.

Rhys squirmed like an alien eel against the sheets, his tail undulatingwith excitement. Jack, for the first time, felt excited too about seeing Rhys’ body, exploring all the new features it had to offer.

“I’ve missed touching you.” Jack kissed down Rhys’ body, exploring the flesh both new and familiar. Even outside of the predominately mutated areas, Rhys’ skin had taken on a purple undertone, so faint one could only see it this close up. He tasted a hint of metal in Rhys’ skin, but it still felt and smelled like _flesh_. Like Rhys' flesh. Altered, but unmistakably _his_.

“I missed you touching me too…” Rhys moaned as Jack’ lips pressed around his nipple, tongue flicking the sensitive nub. “A-Ah….we can’t…do anything like this with walls between us…”

“No more walls, kitten,” Jack gasped as he popped his mouth off of Rhys’ chest, kissing a circle around the wet flesh. “Never again.”

Jack managed to turn Rhys onto his belly, the young man looking in anticipation over his shoulder as Jack slid his hands down to his hips, kneading at the flesh. He was skinnier than he had been beforehand, whether as a result of the transformation of the bland diet he’d been kept on, Jack didn’t know. Fortunately, his lover’s ass was just as round beneath his palms at it had been before hand, and he gives it an eager squeeze.

“Not too much has changed back here…though the tail might take the most getting used to,” Jack grunted as he grabbed the root of the appendage, feeling the strong muscles at the base flex beneath his palm as Rhys’ tail wound and curled about. He pushed it up gently towards Rhys’ spine as he spread his legs wider, giving Jack a proper view of his hole.

The purplish tinge coloring the ring of muscle didn’t surprise him, as the undertones in Rhys’ skin pooled lightly in other places, such as his elbows and knuckles. But the slight wetness lingering around his hole took him aback, His slid his finger curiously down between Rhys’ asscheeks, rubbing up against his entrance. Rhys squirmed suddenly, his claws fisting into the sheets as he let out a tight gasp.

“ _Ooh_ , that feels really good,” he growled, rocking his hips back against Jack’s finger until the very tip slipped inside of him. Jack started at the sudden feeling of wet warmth, though he didn’t try to pull his hand away.

“This….now this is interesting, kiddo.” Jack wiggled his finger slightly, watching Rhys’ reaction. His little teeth bit into his lower lip as Jack pushed in up to the first knuckle.

“You’re all….wet inside. Did you know that?”

“ _Maybe_.” Rhys’ toes curled. “I _did_ have a bit of privacy in that place…and things got pretty boring when you weren’t around…”

“Is that so?” Jack smirked, pushing his finger all the way in, sheathed in Rhys’ shivering warmth. 

“Mm, _yeah_ , but it’s a lot harder when you have claws for hands.” Rhys’ smile quirked, dirty. “I had to get _creative_.”

“Oh, _baby_ , you’re gonna have to show me all the stuff you taught yourself, then,” Jack chuckled as he added another finger, Rhys’ hole willingly stretching out to accommodate him with ease.

“You’re not gonna grow teeth and try to bite my cock off once I get it in, are ya kiddo?”

Rhys snorted, blowing his hair out of his face.

“You’ve been watching _way_ too many vintage movies while I’ve been gone.”

“Well, I got a little bit tired of my hand, and without your cute little ass to help pass the time, I had things pretty rough.” He rubbed the head of his cock against Rhys’ hole, slickness catching onto the tip. “Not anymore.”

Rhys closed around the head of Jack’s cock like a warm maw of velvet, instantly molding around the creases of his glans. Jack groaned at the sudden pressure as Rhys’ hole clenched around him, inching his length in slowly. He didn’t remember the last time they’d had sex—the Vault hunt and preparations had left little time for such pleasure. Jack had been planning, actually, for a round of victory sex in the plush bed of the luxury transport they’d taken to Ovid. Obviously, things had changed and delayed those plans but well—better late than never, huh?

He almost preferred this, though. The bed was steeped in their shared history, and screwing his changed lover here felt like properly returning home.

“ _God_ , pumpkin, if you’d told me you felt this good, I would’ve broken you out weeks ago…”

“Heh…you know…could’ve just banged me right in front of all your scientists I mean…you _did_ give me a bed…” Rhys grinned in between gasps as Jack thrusted into him. “H-how…how’s _that_ for research.”

“On second thought, though, I _think_ I wanna keep you all to myself on this one…” Jack kissed Rhys’ ear, nibbling on the little purple points.

Rhys wailed as he pushed back into Jack, his tail curling and lashing about until Rhys finally knotted it firmly around Jack’s thigh, tying them even closer together as Jack pressed his chest against Rhys’ back. They moved like one creature, grunting and moaning as Rhys’ purple slick pulsed around Jack’s cock, dripping down his quaking thighs towards the torn folds of the sheets. Rhys slashed more holes into the covers, his long black claws puncturing through the fabric as he struggles to hold on.

Surprisingly, Jack came first, his cock spasming deep inside of his boyfriend’s body as he filled him up with seed. Jack’s thighs quivered, going to jelly as orgasm blossomed throughout his entire body. He gasped, clenching his teeth as the tight muscles in Rhys’ hole squirmed and squeezed around him, milking every last drop from his cock as he nearly collapsed atop Rhys, only barely propping himself up on a single elbow. Rhys continued to buck and move his hips, aggressive against Jack’s overstimulated loins until he too came, his slick gushing from within the tight fit of his hole as his cock twitched its release against the sheets below.

They lay together, panting in tandem, for a minute or so as they tried to catch their collective breaths. Jack rested his forehead against Rhys’ shoulder, feeling the muscles twitch and pulse with blood. After the moment passed, Rhys gently placed his clawed hand atop Jack’s urging the older man to lie on his side and properly cuddle him. Jack slipped his arms around Rhys’ waist, now holding them together as Rhys turned to face him.

“God…I really _needed_ that…” Jack murmured against Rhys’ cheek, kissing all the way to his lips. “I needed _you_.”

And Rhys purred, genuinely _purred_ like a kitten, his chest vibrating against Jack as he cuddled up to his boyfriend. Jack started slightly at something sliding up his leg but as soon as he saw the purple tip of Rhys’ tail waggling over his knee, he relaxed.

“You know…you’re right.”Jack lifted his hand to pet affectionately through Rhys’ hair, fingers rubbing up against the warm base of his horns. “Maybe this won’t be so bad.”

“Told you,” Rhys replied sleepily, tucking his head underneath Jack’s chin. “You should trust me more from now on. I’m usually the one who’s right.”

Jack watched the patterns of galaxies sparkle and swirl in the purple flesh of Rhys’ arm, marveling how close it mirrored the endless storms of space extending off just outside of his window. He bent his head down, kissing the top of Rhys’ head.

“Agreed.”

After the month of stress and guilt he’d been through, trust sounded like an _excellent_ idea.


End file.
